Liu Xiaotao
A rising star who has held leadership roles in three of China’s top four provincial economies (Guangdong, Zhejiang, and Jiangsu) and China’s sixth wealthiest city (Suzhou). However, he has yet to be appointed as an alternate member of the Central Committee.
Governor of Jiangsu Province (2025 - Present); Party Secretary of Suzhou (2023 - 2025); Party Secretary of Wenzhou (2021 - 2023); Vice Governor of Zhejiang (2020 - 2021); Secretary General of the Government of Guangdong (2019 - 2020); Party Secretary of Chaozhou (2017 - 2019)
Titles Held
Born in 1970 in Guangdong. Graduated with a degree in labor economics from Renmin University of China and a master’s degree in political economy from the Guangdong Academy of Social Sciences. Began his career in Guangdong’s Department of Labor, eventually rising to lead the Department in 2005 before transitioning to the Tax Department. In 2012, he took on his first political role as Vice Mayor of Maoming city in Guangdong, and in 2016 he was promoted to Mayor of Shantou, one of China’s four “special economic zones.” In 2017 he became the leader of Chaozhou, a city next to Shantou. In 2019, he became the Secretary-General of Guangdong province. One year later, he was transferred to Vice Governor of Zhejiang, becoming one of the youngest vice-ministers in China at the time. In 2021, he became the leader of Wenzhou, Zhejiang’s third-largest city. In 2023, he was transferred to Jiangsu to help lead Suzhou, one of China’s most affluent cities. In 2025, he became the Governor of the entire province, which is widely expected to overtake Guangdong to become the wealthiest province of China by the end of 2026.
Biography
He is comparable to Li Xi, a member of the PSC who previously led Guangdong from 2017 to 2022 and who supervised Liu, and Li Qiang, who was formerly Governor of Zhejiang and Party Secretary of Jiangsu. Huang Kunming, the current Secretary of Guangdong, is now a Politburo member. Liu could also be compared to Shi Taifeng, former Secretary of Suzhou and current Politburo member.